Method for the selection of a feminine hygiene product system

ABSTRACT

A method for the selection and use of a system of feminine hygiene products is described. The method includes an information collection step, a system selection step, and a product provision step. In the information collection step, information is collected from a consumer regarding her menstrual cycle protection needs. In the system selection step, the information collected is used to select a system of feminine hygiene products from at least two of such available systems. Each of such available systems is comprised of at least two different feminine hygiene products. In the product provision step, a kit is provided to the consumer. The kit contains in a common package the feminine hygiene products which make up the selected system.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/854,612, filed May 12,1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,027, which is a continuation in part ofapplication Ser. No. 08/656,941, filed May 30, 1996, abandoned.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a method for the selection and useof a system of feminine hygiene products. More particularly, the presentinvention is directed to a method in which information is collected froma consumer regarding certain of her physical characteristics andregarding certain aspects of her menstrual cycle. The informationcollected is used to select a particular system of feminine hygieneproducts from a group of two or more available systems. The system ofproducts selected is then revealed to the consumer for use by theconsumer to achieve a reduction in soiling as compared to the use of asingle type of feminine hygiene product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Feminine hygiene products such as sanitary napkins, pantiliners, andincontinence pads are devices that are typically worn in the crotchregion of an undergarment. Interlabial devices are feminine hygieneproducts that are typically designed to be worn within the interlabialspace of a wearer. Other feminine hygiene devices such as tampons aredesigned to be worn within the vaginal interior. All of these devicesare designed to absorb or otherwise contain liquid and other dischargesfrom the human body and to prevent body and clothing soiling. Sanitarynapkins are a type of absorbent article worn by women in a pair ofpanties that is normally positioned between the wearer's legs, adjacentto the perineal area of the body.

Feminine hygiene products having many different basic designs are knownin the art. There are some key features of these products, however,which affect the performance of such products. For example, femininehygiene products such as sanitary napkins vary in their absorbentcapacities, their length, the area of undergarment which they cover,their thicknesses, and their inclusion or non-inclusion of certainfeatures such as wings or flaps.

Currently, feminine hygiene products such as sanitary napkins aretypically sold in packages containing quantities of ten to fiftyproducts of a single product type. As a result, many consumers buy anduse a single type of product for all their menstrual protection needs.This is the case even though the characteristics (e.g. length, area, andfeatures) of a feminine hygiene product necessary to provide containmentof bodily fluids without leaking may be quite different between daytimeand overnight use. Similarly, the characteristics of a feminine hygieneproduct necessary to contain bodily fluids without leaking will vary fordifferent groups of consumers based on such factors as body size andmenstrual cycle characteristics.

Further complicating the present situation with respect to femininehygiene products is the fact that the number of different types ofproducts available often makes it confusing for consumers to determinewhich products would best meet their protection needs. In a recentsurvey of a typical retail store, 103 different types of femininehygiene products were on display for sale to consumers. In anotherrecent survey, roughly 70% of consumers reported purchasing the wrongtype of sanitary napkin and/or pantiliner at least once within the sixmonth period preceding the survey.

It has been found in developing the present invention, that use by theconsumer of a system of feminine hygiene products provides her withsuperior protection and comfort as compared to the use of a single typeof product for all menstrual protection purposes. Nevertheless, thesheer number of options available makes the selection of an appropriatesystem difficult. Based upon the numbers of different types of productscurrently available for sale, it is estimated that there are well over10,000 possible combinations of systems which contain only two differenttypes of feminine hygiene products. When systems including more than twodifferent products are considered, the number increases geometrically.

Ideally, an appropriate system of feminine hygiene products is chosenfrom two or more available systems where each of such systems isdesigned for a particular group of consumers. Membership in a particulargroup is based upon factors such as body size and menstrual cyclecharacteristics.

It has also been found during the development of the method of thepresent invention that many women (especially those who do not trulyhave a heavy flow intensity) are not proficient in accurately describingtheir flow intensity as compared to other consumers. Most currentlyavailable feminine hygiene products describe the differences between thevarious available products only in terms of a consumer's assessment ofher own flow intensity or overall protection needs. It has been foundthat better product selection of systems of feminine hygiene productscan be obtained by the method of the present invention which relies atleast in part on indicators of protection needs other than simplyperceived flow. Ideally, at least some of these indicators are objectivepieces of information which should be readily known to most consumers.In this manner, consumers can be more reliably be provided withappropriate systems of feminine hygiene products without having to guessas to which products will best suit their needs. An ideal method for theselection and use of a system of feminine hygiene products alsoeliminates the need for consumers to select systems solely on the basisof subjective (and often inaccurate indicators) such as self-perceptionof flow intensity alone.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a methodfor the selection and use of a system of feminine hygiene products.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method forthe selection of a system of feminine hygiene products from two or moreavailable systems, the selection being based upon information gatheredfrom the consumer regarding at least her body size and preferablycertain characteristics related to her menstrual cycle.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method forthe selection and use of system of feminine hygiene products whichsystem is adapted for a particular group of consumers and which whenused will achieve a reduction in the incidence of soiling as compared tothe use of a single type of feminine hygiene product.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a reliablemethod for the selection and use of an appropriate system of femininehygiene products in which the information gathered from consumersincludes at least some objective pieces of information which areexpected to be known by a majority of consumers.

These and other objects of the present invention will become morereadily apparent when considered in reference to the followingdescription and when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a method for the selection and useof a system of feminine hygiene products. More particularly, the presentinvention is directed to a method in which information is collected froma consumer regarding her menstrual cycle protection needs. Theinformation collected is used to select a system of feminine hygieneproducts from at least two of such available systems. Each of suchavailable systems is comprised of at least two different femininehygiene products. The consumer is provided with a kit containing in acommon package a system of feminine hygiene products. The kit comprisesthe at least two different feminine hygiene products which make up theselected system. Preferably, the information collection step may beaccomplished using the world wide web.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing outand distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as formingthe present invention, it is believed that the invention will be betterunderstood from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a typical prior art sanitary napkin showing the location ofthe side edges and end edges of the sanitary napkin.

FIG. 2 is an example of a common package which may house a kit of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram representing the steps of a method according tothe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a method for the selection and useof a system of feminine hygiene products. The method of the presentinvention comprises three steps: collecting information from a consumerregarding her body size and menstrual cycle characteristics, selectingan appropriate system of feminine hygiene products from a group of twoor more available systems of products, and providing information to theconsumer identifying the products which make up the selected systemallowing her to use the system of feminine hygiene products.

As used herein the term “feminine hygiene products” refers to disposableabsorbent articles used by women for catamenial protection. Suchproducts include sanitary napkins, tampons, interlabial products,incontinence devices, and pantiliners. The term “disposable” is usedherein to describe absorbent articles which are not intended to belaundered or otherwise restored or reused as an absorbent article (i.e.,they are intended to be discarded after a single use, and, preferably,to be disposed of in an environmentally compatible manner). As usedherein, the term “absorbent article” refers to devices which absorb andcontain body exudates, and, more specifically, refers to devices whichare placed within, against, or in proximity to, the body of the wearerto absorb and contain the various exudates discharged from the body.

The term “system” as used herein refers to a group of at least twofeminine hygiene products. Each of the products within such a group ischosen to best serve the protection needs of consumers falling within apredetermined range of body sizes and menstrual flow characteristics.For example, one system of feminine hygiene products might be adaptedfor use by small women with moderate protection needs. A system forconsumers in such a category might include sanitary napkins for useduring regular need times within a menstrual cycle and sanitary napkinsof a different type for use during increased need times within amenstrual cycle (for example, overnight).

It has been found during development of the present invention thatcertain key pieces of information regarding the body size and menstrualflow characteristics of a particular woman may be used to assist her inthe selection of a system of feminine protection products which isparticularly adapted to her needs. The use of such an adapted systemwill preferably achieve a reduction in the incidence of soiling ascompared to the use of a single type of feminine hygiene product.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are fourpredetermined ranges of body sizes and menstrual flow characteristics aswell as four or more available systems of feminine hygiene products.Each range of body sizes and menstrual flow characteristics has at leastone corresponding system of feminine hygiene products which isspecifically adapted for use by consumers within that range. Anindividual consumer is placed in the appropriate range based uponinformation collected from the consumer.

Table 1 is a table which shows four possible topics of information whichmay be collected from consumers to carry out the method of the presentinvention.

TABLE 1 Category 1 category 2 category 3 category 4 FLOW 1 light lightto moderate moderate to heavy heavy to very heavy INTENSITY 2 lightmoderate heavy very heavy 3 birth control: pill birth control: nonebirth control: IUD birth control: IUD 4 age: <25 years age: 25 to 30years age: 31 to 40 years age: >40 years 5 pregnancies: 0 pregnancies:1-3 pregnancies: 3 to 4 pregnancies: 5 or more PERIOD 1 light moderateheavy very heavy DURATION AND 2 less than 3 days 3 to 4 days 4 to 5 daysmore than 5 days VOLUME 3 <40 g menses/period 30 to 60 g menses/period50 to 80 g menses/period >70 g menses/period 4 0 heavy days/nights <2heavy days/nights 2 to 4 heavy days/nights >4 heavy days/nights BODYSIZE 1 petite body small body medium body large body 2 petite panty sizesmall panty size medium panty size large panty size 3 panty size lessthan 5 panty size 5 to 7 panty size 8 to 10 panty size 11 to 15 4 hips<32 inches hips 32 to 41 inches hips 41 to 47 inches hips 47 inches ormore 5 petite to small clothing small to medium medium to large large toplus clothing size clothing size clothing size size SOILING 1 rarelysoil ends/sides occassionally soil ends/sides often soil ends/sidesalmost always soil PATTERN ends/sides 2 soils <8% of changes soils 8 to10% of changes soils 10 to 15% of changes soils >15% of changes 3 0soils per period 1 to 2 soils per period 2 to 4 soils per period 4 ormore soils/period

As shown in Table 1, the topics of information collected from a consumerpreferably refer to her body size, her flow intensity, her periodduration and volume, and experienced soiling pattern. The topics shownin Table 1 are separated into 4 different levels or categories. Theconsumer is prompted in any suitable manner (e.g., through the answeringof questions printed on a chart or interactive display screen) toprovide sufficient information to place her in one of the four levels orcategories for each of topics shown in Table 1 (i.e. body size, flowintensity, period duration and volume, and soiling pattern). Forexample, in order to determine the proper category for a particularconsumer with respect to body size, a consumer may be asked to chose herbody size from the following list: petite body, small body, medium body,large body, where the responses correspond to body size categories 1, 2,3, and 4, respectively.

Various other questions may be used either individually or incombination to place a particular consumer in one of the four body sizecategories. Consumers in body size category 1, will generally describetheir body size and/or panty size as petite. In the United States thiscorresponds to a panty size of less than about 5. The hip size ofconsumers in this category will generally be smaller than about 32inches (81 cm). Consumers in body size category 2 will generallydescribe their body and/or panty size as small. This corresponds in theUnited States to a panty size of about 5 to 7. The hip size of consumersin this category will generally range from about 32 to 41 inches (81 to104 cm). Consumers in body size category 3 will generally describe theirbody and/or panty size as medium. This corresponds to a panty size ofabout 8 to 10 in the United States. The hip size of consumers in thisbody size category will range from about 41 to 47 inches (104 to 119cm). Consumers in body size category 4 generally describe their bodyand/or panty size as large. This corresponds to a panty size in theUnited States of about 11 to 15. The hip size of consumers in thiscategory is about 48 inches (122 cm) or more.

Another indicator of body size is clothing size in general (as opposedto simply panty size). Certain consumers may be more familiar with theirclothing size in general or their size for particular types of clothingthan they may be with their panty size. Additionally, certain consumersmay be more comfortable with being prompted for clothing sizeinformation rather than panty size information. Therefore, in someembodiments of the method of the present invention it may be preferableto collect information from consumers regarding clothing size eitherinstead of or in addition to panty size. Clothing size information couldinclude dress size, slack or pants size, or the size of any clothingthat will generally cover the lower half of a person's body. Forexample, as shown in Table 1, consumers in body size category 1 mightdescribe their clothing size as “petite to small.” Consumers in bodysize category 2 might describe their clothing size as “small to medium.”Consumers in body size category 3 might describe their clothing size as“medium to large.” Consumers in body size category 4 might describetheir clothing size as “large to plus size.”

Other commonly used indicators of body size such as the Body Mass Indexcould also be adapted to the method of the present invention for use incollecting body size information from a consumer. A discussion of BodyMass Index is included in the August, 1996 issue of Scientific American.

One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that numerouscombinations of either individual questions or groups of questions maybe asked in order to collect sufficient information to place a consumerin one of these categories with respect to body size. The precise mannerand wording chosen to collect this information from the consumer mayvary depending on local custom, the comfort level consumers in aparticular area may have in describing their body size or menstrual flowcharacteristics, and the shades of meaning associated with terms whichmay be used in different parts of the world to collect the informationdesired.

In addition to collecting information regarding the body size of aconsumer, the preferred embodiment shown in Table 1 also showsinformation which may be used to place a consumer in one of fourcategories with respect to flow intensity. Indicators of the proper flowintensity category for a given consumer include age, type of birthcontrol used, number of pregnancies, and the consumer's self-perceptionof her flow intensity.

Consumers in flow intensity category 1 will generally have a lightperceived flow. Additionally, they may be under about 25 years of age,may use birth control pills, and/or may have never been pregnant.

Consumers in flow intensity category 2 will generally have a “light tomoderate” (or simply “moderate”) perceived flow. These consumers mayrange in age from about 25 to about 30 years, may not use birth control,and/or may have been pregnant 1-3 times.

Consumers in flow intensity category 3 will typically have a “moderateto heavy” (or simply “heavy”) perceived flow. These consumers may rangein age from about 31 to about 40 years, may use an IUD as birth control,and/or may have been pregnant 3-4 times.

Consumers in flow intensity category 4 will typically have a “heavy tovery heavy (or simply “very heavy”) perceived flow. This category ofconsumers may be older than about 40 years of age, may use an IUD asbirth control, and/or may have been pregnant 5 or more times.

These broad classifications of age, type of birth control used, andnumber of pregnancies are not intended to be absolute indicators of theproper flow intensity category. Rather, this information represents avariety of conditions which impact flow intensity for many consumers.Such information is useful to assist many consumers in placingthemselves in the proper flow intensity category if they are uncertainhow to benchmark their perceived flow intensity.

Table 1 also shows information which may be used to place a consumer inone of four categories with respect to period duration and volume.Indicators of the proper period duration and volume category for a givenconsumer include the total number of days within a cycle that theconsumer typically menstruates, the number of “heavy” days or nights aconsumer experiences within a typical cycle, and the consumer's selfperception of her period duration and volume.

Consumers in period duration and volume category 1 will generallymenstruate for less than 3 days in a cycle, and may not experience anyheavy days or nights. These consumers will typically perceive theirperiod duration and volume as “light.” The overall amount of mensesdischarged by consumers in this category is less than about 40 grams perperiod.

Consumers in period duration and volume category 2 will generallymenstruate for approximately 3 to 4 days in a cycle, and may experienceless than about 2 heavy days or nights. These consumers will typicallyperceive their period duration and volume as “moderate.” The overallamount of menses discharged by consumers in this category is betweenabout 30 and about 60 grams per period.

Consumers in period duration and volume category 3 will generallymenstruate for about 4 to 5 days, and may experience about 2 to 4 heavydays or nights. These consumers will typically perceive their periodduration and volume as “heavy.” The overall amount of menses dischargedby consumers in this category is about 50 to about 80 grams per period.

Consumers in period duration and volume category 4 will generallymenstruate for more than about 5 days, and may experience 4 or moreheavy days or nights. These consumers will typically perceive theirperiod duration and volume as “very heavy.” The overall amount of mensesdischarged by consumers in this category is greater than about 70 gramsper period.

Another indicator of period duration and volume category is the numberof times in a typical cycle a consumer replaces a used feminine hygieneproduct with a fresh one. Related to this indicator is the loading of aproduct before it is replaced with a fresh product. The typical loadingfor a feminine hygiene product before replacement tends to vary byregional practices and customs. Therefore, the use of number of freshproducts used in a cycle as an indicator of period duration and volumeshould take typical regional practices and customs into account.

Also shown in Table 1 is information which may be used to place aconsumer in one of four categories with respect to experienced soilingpattern. Using currently available sanitary napkins, many consumers mayexperience side soiling or end soiling with varying frequency. TheFigure shows a typical prior art sanitary napkin 24 and the locations onthe top of the sanitary napkin 24 where side soling or end soiling mightoccur. The term “side soiling” refers to the soiling of the side edges20 of a sanitary napkin 24 when the sanitary napkin is used by aconsumer. The term “end soiling” refers to the soiling of the end edges22 of a sanitary napkin 24 when the sanitary napkin is used by aconsumer.

Consumers in soiling pattern 1 will “rarely” experience side or endsoiling when using currently marketed sanitary napkins (that is, theseconsumers will experience soils in less than about 8% of pad changes).These consumers will typically experience no undergarment soils perperiod. Consumers in soiling pattern category 2 will “occasionally”experience side or end soiling when using currently marketed sanitarynapkins (that is, these consumers will experience soils in about 8 toabout 10% of pad changes). These consumers may experience about 1 to 2soils per period. Consumers in soiling pattern category 3 will “often”experience side or end soiling when using currently marketed sanitarynapkins (that is, these consumers will experience soils in about 10 toabout 15% of pad changes). These consumers may experience about 2 to 4soils per period. Consumers in soiling pattern category 4 will “almostalways” experience side and/or end soiling when using currently marketedsanitary napkins (that is, these consumers will experience soils ingreater than about 15% of pad changes). These consumers may experienceabout 4 or more soils per period.

As in the case with body size, one skilled in the art will appreciatethat numerous combinations of either individual questions or groups ofquestions may be asked to place a consumer in one of these categorieswith respect to flow intensity, period duration and volume, and soilingpattern.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in Table 1,information is collected with respect to the four topics shown (i.e.body size, flow intensity, period duration and volume, and soilingpattern). It has been found during the development of the presentinvention that the most important of these is body size. Therefore, inmore preferred embodiments of method of the present invention,information regarding the body size of the consumer should always becollected from the consumer.

It has also been found during the development of the present inventionthat the information pertaining to flow intensity and to period lengthand volume are closely related. As a result, a majority of consumers areexpected to fall into the same category for both the flow intensity andthe period length and volume categories. Although this is the case, asnoted previously, a consumer's self-perception of her flow is often notan accurate indicator of her “true” flow intensity (i.e., the propertycategory as compared to other consumers). Therefore, in more preferredembodiments of the method of the present invention, the proper flowintensity category for a particular consumer may be ascertained byasking that consumer to describe her perceived flow intensity from alist consisting of: “light”, “moderate”, “heavy”, and “very heavy”. Analternative list could consist of: “light”, “light to moderate”,“moderate to heavy”, and “heavy to very heavy.” In these more preferredembodiments, if information regarding perceived flow intensity iselicited from the consumer in the manner described above, then thequestions or prompts used to collect information from the consumerregarding period length and volume should be more objective (as opposedto relating to the consumer's self-perception). For example, if flowintensity information is collected by asking a consumer to chose whichterm from either of the lists given above best describes her flowintensity, then period length and volume information could be collectedby asking a consumer how long she menstruates in a typical cycle and/orhow many heavy days or nights she experiences in a typical cycle.

Using questions which relate to facts which are objective and which areexpected to be known by a given consumer helps to ensure that theconsumer will be placed into the proper category for each of the topicsshown in Table 1. This approach also reduces reliance on subjectiveassessments by consumers (such as self-perception of flow withoutfurther verification) which are often inaccurate.

It has been found that a majority of consumers will tend to fall intothe same category (i.e., 1, 2, 3, or 4) or close to the same categoryfor each of the four topics shown in FIG. 1. Nevertheless, in thepreferred embodiment shown in Table 1, information relating to all fourtopics is collected from the consumer in order to appropriately placethose smaller numbers of consumers who fall into significantly differentcategories for some of the topics shown. Additionally, the use of all ofthe topics shown in Table 1 helps to ensure that small differences incategory placement among similar consumers which may result frommisperceptions or varying meanings assigned to terms used to collect theinformation will be diminished in importance. Consequently, consumerswith similar protection needs will ultimately have similar systems offeminine hygiene products selected for them.

In variations of the preferred embodiment shown in Table 1, informationregarding fewer than all four topics shown may be collected while stillcarrying out the method of the present invention. For example, theinformation may be collected from the consumer regarding only her bodysize. Similarly, information regarding body size and flow intensity onlymay be collected. Other acceptable combinations include, but are notlimited to, body size and period duration and volume information; bodysize and soiling information; and body size, flow intensity, and periodduration and volume information. Because flow intensity and periodduration and volume are closely related, these categories may becombined in a variation of the preferred embodiment shown in Table 1.

Once information is collected from a consumer regarding her body typeand menstrual cycle characteristics, a system of feminine hygieneproducts is selected from at least two of such available systems. Eachof such available systems contains at least two feminine hygieneproducts of different types. Similarly, each system is adapted tocorrespond to a particular predetermined range of body types andmenstrual cycle characteristics. Table 2 is a table showing how in apreferred embodiment of the method of the present invention, theinformation collected from using Table 1 may be used to select one offour systems which are available in this preferred embodiment.

TABLE 2 column 1 column 2 column 3 column 4 all answers all answers allanswers all answers 1 point 2 points 3 points 4 points FLOW INTENSITYflow flow flow flow category 1 category 2 category 3 category 4 PERIODDURATION period period period period AND VOLUME category 1 category 2category 3 category 4 BODY SIZE body size body size body size body sizecategory 1 category 2 category 3 category 4 SOILING PATTERN soilingsoiling soiling soiling category 1 category 2 category 3 category 4Please add your answers — — — — from each colored column System 1 System2 System 3 System 4 points 4 to 6 7 to 10 11 to 13 14 to 16

After having collected the information shown in Table 1, a givenconsumer will have been placed in one of four categories for each of thefollowing topics: body size, flow intensity, period duration and volume,and soiling pattern. While many method of “scoring” might be envisioned,a preferred method is shown in Table 2. As shown in Table 2, category 1for each topic is assigned a point value of 1, category 2 for each topicis assigned a point value of 2, category 3 for each topic is assigned apoint value of 3, and category 4 for each topic is assigned a pointvalue of 4. The points from each topic are added to yield a total scoreranging from 4 to 16. This point total is used to select one of foursystems which are available in this preferred embodiment of the methodof the present invention.

In the preferred embodiment shown in Table 2, point totals from 4 to 6correspond to System 1, point totals from 7 to 10 correspond to System2, point totals from 11 to 13 correspond to System 3, and point totalsfrom 14-16 correspond to System 4. The points may be added by theconsumer with or without the assistance of a chart similar to that inTable 2. Alternatively, the points may be added by a computer or othercalculation device, or though the assistance of a modified slide-ruletype device (for example, a dial or wheel on a store display).

Alternative preferred embodiments for selecting one of four availablesystems of feminine hygiene products are shown in Table 3 and Table 4.

TABLE 3 PERIOD or body size, body size, body size, body size, FLOWcategory 1 category 2 category 3 category 4 category System 1 System 1System 2 System 3 1 category System 1 System 2 System 2 System 3 2category System 2 System 2 System 3 System 4 3. category System 2 System3 System 4 System 4 4

In the preferred embodiment shown in Table 3, information is collectedfrom a consumer regarding her body size and either her period durationand volume or flow intensity information as described above. Thisinformation is used to place the consumer in one of four categories withrespect to body size and period duration and volume or flow intensity asdescribed above and shown in Table 1. The chart in Table 3 shows how thecombination of the body size category and either the period or flowcategory for a particular consumer may be used to arrive at a selectionof one of four available systems of feminine hygiene products.

TABLE 4 PERIOD or body size, body size, body size, body size, FLOWcategory 1 category 2 category 3 category 4 category system 1 1 categorysystem 2 2 category system 3 3 category system 4 4

Table 4 is similar to Table 3, but shows a table which shows lessdefined boundaries between each of the four available systems offeminine hygiene products. In alternative embodiments of the method ofthe present invention a table similar to that shown in Table 4 mightappear on a store display. Use of such a table may require a consumer tochose between one of two possible systems if she is located in acombination of body size and flow or period categories which places hernear the boundary of two feminine hygiene product systems.

In a preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention, thereare four available systems of feminine hygiene products. Each of thefour systems in this preferred embodiment is comprised of at least twodifferent types of sanitary napkins. Each system preferably contains atleast one sanitary napkin product for use during regular need times in agiven menstrual cycle. Additionally, each system preferably contains atleast one sanitary napkin product for use during heavy need times (suchas overnight, or on heavy flow days) in a given menstrual cycle. Asdescribed above, each of the four available systems in this preferredembodiment is adapted for use by consumers within a particular range ofbody size and menstrual cycle characteristics.

System 1 is adapted for use by women with light protection needs. In apreferred embodiment of the present invention, System 1 includes asanitary napkin product with a length of between about 110 and about 244mm, more preferably between about 219 and about 230 mm, and an area ofbetween about 55 and about 242 cm², more preferably between about 162and about 242 cm², for regular need times. Likewise, in this preferredembodiment, System 1 also includes a sanitary napkin product with alength of between about 219 and about 249 mm, and an area of betweenabout 126 and about 265 cm², more preferably between about 162 and about265 cm², for heavy need times. Methods for measuring the area and lengthof a sanitary napkin are described in the test methods section, below.

System 2 in this preferred embodiment is adapted for use by women withlight to moderate protection needs. Preferably, System 2 includes asanitary napkin with a length of between about 219 and about 249 mm, andan area of between about 126 and about 224 cm², more preferably betweenabout 162 and about 224 cm², for regular need times. In this preferredembodiment, System 2 also includes a sanitary napkin product with alength of between about 226 and about 261 mm, more preferably betweenabout 238 and about 261 mm, and an area between about 146 and about 320cm², more preferably between about 220 and about 320 cm², for heavy needtimes.

System 2 may contain at least one sanitary napkin product with pantyelastic wrapping components. The term “panty elastic wrappingcomponents” includes, but is not necessarily limited to: “wings,” suchas those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. B1 4,589,876 and 4,687,478; sidewrapping elements which automatically wrap the side edges of thewearer's panties when the panties are pulled up by the wearer, such asthose described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,663; flaps with zones ofextensibility such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,400; ortabs.

System 3 in this preferred embodiment is adapted for use by women withmoderate to heavy protection needs. Preferably, System 3 includes asanitary napkin with a length of between about 232 and about 261 mm,more preferably between about 238 and about 261 mm, and an area ofbetween about 146 and about 320 cm², more preferably between about 255and about 320 cm², for regular need times. In this preferred embodiment,System 3 also includes a sanitary napkin product with a length ofbetween about 248 and about 304 mm, more preferably between about 255and about 304 mm, and an area between about 177 and about 348 cm², morepreferably between about 302 and about 348 cm². Preferably, System 3contains at least one sanitary napkin product which includes pantyelastic wrapping components.

System 4 in this preferred embodiment is adapted for use by women withheavy to very heavy protection needs. Preferably, System 4 includes asanitary napkin with a length of between about 248 and about 304 mm,more preferably between about 255 and about 304 mm, and an area betweenabout 170 and about 348 cm², more preferably between about 302 and about348 cm², for regular need times. In this preferred embodiment, System 4also includes a sanitary napkin product with a length of about 296 mm ormore, more preferably between about 300 and about 380 mm, and an area ofabout 224 cm² or more, more preferably between about 314 and about 500cm². Preferably, System 4 contains at least one sanitary napkin productwhich includes panty elastic wrapping components.

The Procter & Gamble Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, manufacturescommercially available sanitary napkin products which are suitable forinclusion in each of the systems of the preferred embodiment describedabove for both regular protection needs and heavy protection needs. Thefollowing products are suitable for inclusion in System 1 for regularprotection needs: ALWAYS® Ultra thin Slender Maxi with Wings sanitarynapkin which is manufactured and packaged under one or more of U.S. Pat.Nos. 4,342,314, 4,463,045, 4,556,146, B1 4,589,876, 4,687,478,4,950,264, 5,009,653, 5,267,992, and Re. 32, 649; and ALWAYS® Thin Maxisanitary napkin which is manufactured and packaged under one or more ofU.S. Pat. Nos. 4,342,314, 4,463,045, 4,556,146, 4,573,986, 5,413,568,and 5,462,166. Likewise, the following products are suitable forinclusion in System 1 for heavy protection needs: ALWAYS® Thin Maxi withWings sanitary napkin which is manufactured and packaged under one ormore of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,342,314, 4,463,045, 4,556,146, 4,573,986, B14,589,876, 4,687,478, 5,267,992, 5,413,568, 5,462,166, and 5,489,283;ALWAYS® Ultra thin Maxi sanitary napkin which is manufactured andpackaged under one or more of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,342,314, 4,463,045,4,556,146, 4,950,264, 5,009,653, 5,413,568, 5,460,623, 5,462,166,5,569,231, and Re. 32,649; and ALWAYS® Regular Maxi sanitary napkinwhich is manufactured and packaged under one or more of U.S. Pat. Nos.4,342,314, 4,463,045, 4,556,146, 4,573,986, 5,413,568, and 5,462,166.

Suitable products for inclusion in System 2 for regular protection needsinclude ALWAYS® Ultra thin Maxi sanitary napkin and ALWAYS® Regular Maxisanitary napkin. The following products are suitable for inclusion inSystem 2 for heavy protection needs: ALWAYS® Ultra thin Maxi with Wingssanitary napkin which is manufactured and packaged under one or more ofU.S. Pat. Nos. 4,342,314, 4,463,045, 4,556,146, B1 4,589,876, 4,687,478,4,950,264, 5,009,653, 5,267,992, 5,413,568, 5,460,623, 5,462,166,5,489,283, 5,569,231, and Re. 32,649; and ALWAYS® Regular Maxi withWings which is manufactured and packaged under one of more of U.S. Pat.Nos. 4,342,314, 4,463,045, 4,556,146, 4,573,986, B1 4,589,876,4,687,478, 5,267,992, 5,413,568, 5,462,166, and 5,489,283.

Suitable products for inclusion in System 3 for regular protection needsinclude ALWAYS® Ultra thin Maxi with Wings sanitary napkin and ALWAYS®Regular Maxi with Wings sanitary napkin. Suitable products for use inSystem 3 for heavy protection needs include ALWAYS® Ultra thin Long Maxiwith Wings sanitary napkin and ALWAYS® Long Super Maxi with Wingssanitary napkin, which are both manufactured and packaged under one ormore of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,342,314, 4,463,045, 4,556,146, B1 4,589,876,4,687,478, 4,950,264, 5,009,653, 5,267,992, 5,413,568, 5,460,623,5,462,166, 5,489,283, 5,569,231, and Re. 32,649.

Suitable products for inclusion in System 4 for regular protection needsinclude ALWAYS® Ultra thin Long Maxi with Wings sanitary napkin andALWAYS® Long Maxi with Wings sanitary napkin. Suitable products for usein System 4 for heavy protection needs include ALWAYS® Ultra thinOvernight Maxi with Wings sanitary napkin and ALWAYS® Overnight Maxiwith Wings sanitary napkin.

In a variation of the preferred embodiment described above, theavailable systems of feminine hygiene products may include aninterlabial product or a tampon in addition to a sanitary napkinproduct. Suitable interlabial products for use in the systems offeminine hygiene products of the present invention are described in U.S.Pat. Nos. 3,983,873 and 4,175,561 and in U. S. patent application Ser.No. 08/778,520, filed on Jan. 3, 1997 in the name of Osborn, Ill.

When a tampon or interlabial product is included in a system of femininehygiene products, the step of collecting information from a consumerregarding her body type and menstrual flow characteristics may continueto be performed in the manner described above. The step of selecting asystem of feminine hygiene products is also performed as previouslydescribed, except that the appropriate system number should be decreasedby one. For example, a large woman with heavy protection needs mighthave scored 15 total points on the table in Table 2 based upon her bodysize and menstrual flow characteristics. An alternative to System 4comprising only sanitary napkins described above would be a systemcomprising one of the regular needs sanitary napkins described above foruse in System 3 used in combination with a tampon or interlabialproduct. Similarly, a consumer who otherwise would be placed in System3, could use one of the regular needs sanitary napkins described abovefor System 2 in combination with either a tampon or interlabial product.

In other variations of systems of feminine hygiene products comprisingsanitary napkins and either tampons or interlabial products, the systemnumber which would otherwise be selected by the table shown in Table 2could be decreased by 2 instead of by 1 as discussed in the precedingparagraph. When using a higher absorbency tampon or a higher capacityinterlabial product, a woman who might have scored 15 total points onTable 2 based upon her body size and menstrual flow characteristicscould use a sanitary napkin described above as suitable for use insystem 2 for regular protection needs. Such a sanitary napkin would beused in combination with either a higher absorbency tampon or highercapacity interlabial product.

It should be noted that consumers who use a system comprising a sanitarynapkin used in combination with a tampon or interlabial product will notnecessarily prefer to use such a combination at all times during theircycle (for example, overnight). Therefore, systems selected for suchconsumers could include sanitary napkins for use alone as well as asanitary napkin for use in combination with a tampon or interlabialproduct. For example a consumer who might have scored 15 points on Table2 might be provided with a system comprising the sanitary napkinsdescribed above as suitable for use in System 4. Alternatively, shecould be provided with a sanitary napkin described as suitable for usein System 4 for heavy protection needs for wearing overnight. For useduring the day, such a system might include a tampon or interlabialproduct used in combination with a sanitary napkin described as suitablefor use in either System 2 or 3 for regular need times.

In additional variations of the preferred embodiment described above,Systems 1 and 2 may be combined into a single system of protection.Because only a small fraction of consumers in certain parts of the world(including North America) are expected to fall into Category 1 for mostof the topics shown in FIG. 1, only a few consumers will have System 1selected when performing the method of the present invention as shown inTables 1 and 2. Therefore, it is acceptable to combine Systems 1 and 2and use the products described above as acceptable for use in System 2for all consumers who would otherwise be selected for System 1 or System2.

In particularly preferred embodiments of the method of the presentinvention, the steps of collecting information from a consumer regardingher body size and menstrual cycle characteristics and selecting a systemof feminine hygiene products are performed in a substantiallycontinuous, interactive process. For example, the information may becollected from a consumer and a system selected through the use of aninteractive store display. Such a display could be equipped with aninteractive computer which will prompt the user to answer questions,keep track of the answers, and select an appropriate system based onthose answers as described above. In alternative embodiments, theinformation may be collected from a consumer though the use of aninteractive site on the World Wide Web, or through the use of aninteractive menu-driven phone system. Charts, tables or other figuresmay be used to collect information from a consumer and take the consumerthrough the system selection process as described above. These charts orfigures may be located on an in-store display or in in-storeadvertising. Similarly, charts or figures could be published inpublications such as newspapers or magazines or could be mailed topotential consumers. It is also possible for information regarding theuse of systems of feminine hygiene products in accordance with themethod of the present invention to be distributed to providers ofwomen's health care services. In such scenarios, the interactiondescribed in the present application could take place between a consumerand her OB/GYN or other health care provider.

After having collected information from a consumer regarding her bodysize and menstrual cycle characteristics, and having selected a systemof feminine hygiene products, the method of the present invention callsfor providing information back to the consumer identifying the productswhich make up the selected system, thereby allowing the consumer to usethe selected system. This provision of information may be providedthrough the use of packaging indicia. For example, in preferredembodiments where there are four available systems of feminine hygieneproducts, each of the four systems might have a unique number, color,symbol, or some combination of these, associated with it. Products whichmake up each of the four systems could then be packaged in packagesmarked with the corresponding unique number, color, or symbol.

In one preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention, thefeminine hygiene products making up each of the available systems arepackaged together in a common package, such as kit 200. This allows aconsumer to purchase an entire system in one package without having toassembly the required products herself. In other preferred embodimentsof the method of the present invention, the feminine hygiene productsmaking up the various available systems could be packaged individuallyor in of about 2 to 9 products per package. Such individually packagedproducts could be housed in a display stand which allows consumers toselect a variety of products to assemble a system once informationidentifying those products which make up the selected system is receivedby the consumer. In other embodiments, the information provided to theconsumer might simply be a list of the commercial names of availablefeminine hygiene products which make up the selected system.

TEST METHODS Sanitary Napkin Length Measurement

The Length Measurement is performed on samples that have beenconditioned by leaving them in a room at 50% relative humidity and at73° F. for a period of two hours prior to the test. The measurementshould be performed under similar conditions.

Length is measurement by fully unfolding the sample to measured so thatit lays flat. The length of the product is measured from the topsheetside. When measuring, the ruler should be placed along the longitudinalcenterline of the pad so as to measure the longest dimension, from thefullest part of the curvature at the ends of the sample. Align the rulerby placing the 0-point at the leading outer edge of the crimp at one endof the sample. While allowing the ruler to follow the contour of the padsurface, measure the length to the nearest ½ mm to the outer edge of thecrimp at the opposite end of the sample from the 0-point of the ruler.Follow the contour of the core gently and do not press into the core.

Sanitary Napkin Area Measurement Test

Overview

This method is used to determine the two-dimensional area of samplesincluding finished catamenial pads and pantiliners. The sample to bemeasured is laid flat (or taped) on a high contrast surface. Forexample, a white sample should be placed on a black background. A videocamera with input to an image analysis computer is positioned over theproduct. A flatbed scanner can also be used to capture the image. Thesoftware is calibrated for distance using a standard ruler. Anappropriate gray scale threshold is selected by the analyst to optimallydetect the outline of the product. The area is calculated by thecomputer and is determined by pixel count of a digitized image.

Apparatus Ruler Starret C334 150 mm or equivalent Scanner HP Scanjet 3Por equivalent OR Video Camera and Hi-8 or Y/C format camera with zoomlens video capture board Data Translation DT2255-60 Hz, or equivalentImage analysis computer Macintosh IIci or better and software Image 1.44or later version Conditioned Room Temperature and humidity should becontrolled to remain within the following limits: Temperature: 73 ± 3°F. (23° C. ± 2° C.) Humidity: 50 ± 2% Relative Humidity

Procedure

1. Lay the sample flat on a high contrast surface. The sample must beunfolded completely (i.e., wings must be unfolded and lay flat on thesurface). If portions of the sample do not lay flat (for example, if thesample has been previously folded or if the sample is a curved pad) thenthe sample must be taped to the high contrast surface so that it laysflat.

2. Put the sample on the high contrast surface under the camera or onthe scanner. Use magnification that provides adequate resolution of theobject to be measured. The sample should cover at least 10% of thescreen viewing area to ensure adequate resolution. A scanner at 200 dotsper inch provides adequate resolution for pad samples. If a video camerais being used as an input device, the focal plane of the camera must beparallel to the sample (camera must not be at an angle to the sample).

3. Capture an image of a high quality ruler or scale that is at leasthalf as long as the object to be measured. The calibration scale must beplaced in the same plane as the objects to be measured. Calibrate theimage analysis program for scale. After setting the scale in the imageanalysis software, scan an object of known area to verify accuratecalibration.

4. Put the sample under the camera or on the scanner in place of thecalibration scale. Be sure the sample is essentially planar. Tri-foldedpads will have to be flattened using a weight or taped to a flatsurface. Similarly wings or flaps will have to be unfolded and flattenedor taped. Maximize the contrast between the sample and the background. Awhite sample should be placed on a black background, and the lightingshould be adjusted to show a large difference in intensity withoutsaturating either the white pad or the dark background. Careful choiceof lighting will minimize interferences from shadows and glare. Capturea high-resolution image of the sample.

5. Measure the object by visually setting the gray level threshold tobest match the true area of the sample. If there is not sufficientcontrast, magnify the image as much as possible and trace the outermostperimeter of the sample's image on the computer monitor with the mouse.Use the image analysis software to count pixels and convert the countinto area in units of square centimeters or square millimeters.

6. Report the result to the nearest 0.1 cm².

END OF TEST

The disclosure of all patents, patent applications (and any patentswhich issue thereon, as well as any corresponding published foreignpatent applications), and publications mentioned throughout thisdescription are hereby incorporated by reference herein. It is expresslynot admitted, however, that any of the documents incorporated byreference herein teach or disclose the present invention.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in theart that various other changes and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of providing a system of using femininehygiene products to a consumer, said method comprising the steps of:collecting information from said consumer regarding her menstrual cycleprotection needs; selecting a system of feminine hygiene products fromat least two available systems, wherein each of said available systemsis comprised of at least two different feminine hygiene products; andproviding a kit to said consumer, wherein said kit comprises a commonpackage containing said at least two different feminine hygiene productswhich make up said selected system.
 2. The method of claim 1 whereinsaid information collection step is accomplished using a computernetwork.